Safe Haven
by theicemenace
Summary: A Turning the Page Adventure: Atlantis is lost in space and Evan Lorne has gone AWOL to search for his family. Will the Lorne/Sullivan/Sheppard family be reunited or will they end up lost in space searching for a safe haven?
1. Life's Path

"_March on. Do not tarry. To go forward is to move toward perfection. March on, and fear not the thorns, or the sharp stones on life's path._" ~ Khalil Gibran

**Safe Haven**

**Chapter 1**

**Life's Path**

**Previously in _The Road Less Traveled…_**

"Set course for New Lantea. We have to get there before _Daedalus._" Evan shifted in the command chair, crossing one leg over the other.

Weaver and Hudson both snorted, Weaver continuing. "Colonel Marks won't like us beatin' his time, sir."

Again Evan smiled. "Marks and I have had this friendly rivalry going since before you joined the service, Hudson. He'll get over it or get revenge in his own way. But this ship can run _rings_ around that obsolete rust bucket of his. So let's get to it."

"Yes, sir!"

"Let's start with a name change. Heracles was the god of heroes, sports, athletes and the divine protector of mankind, but I don't think it says what we're about. Let it be entered into the record that this ship will now be called the _Seeker_." Evan finally relaxed back in his chair, his gaze fixed on the swirling lights of hyperspace. "If the stars should appear but one night every thousand years how man would marvel and stare." He paused to let that thought sink in, taking a line from Jean-Luc Picard. "Best speed, Number One."

~~O~~

Hours after making the decision to go off the grid, the crew of the _Seeker_ collectively breathed a sigh of relief as the _Hammond_ finally disappeared from the long range sensors and the hails stopped. Evan was also relieved that Weaver and Hudson didn't bother to point out the obvious though he would reserve judgment until he found out if it was a fluke or standard operating procedures for the officers.

His stomach rumbled reminding him that he hadn't eaten since well before they'd left Earth orbit. The Mess Hall served food around the clock so he could get something to eat. The problem was he knew it would only be putting off the inevitable if he went there before going at his quarters.

_Might as well get it over with._

Getting to his feet, Evan held in a sigh. "Major, leave Benjamin in charge and you and Weaver get something to eat and some rest."

"Yes, sir."

As Evan made his way to his quarters he thought about the new path his life was taking. Never had he thought he would ever go AWOL from the Air Force much less take his family with him. He'd left a detailed letter for Shannon explaining why he was leaving and why she and Cadence would have to stay behind. But he should've known better. His strong-willed wife had refused to be left behind, haranguing Carson until he'd agreed to transport Shannon and Cadence aboard just before the _Heracles_ left Earth orbit. _Seeker_, he reminded himself.

And it wasn't really his ship. It was John's. His friend should be here, commanding his ship with strength and humor. Now that Evan was in charge, he wondered what had happened to John's bridge crew, though it didn't really matter.

While they ignored the hails of the _Hammond_, he'd used the command chair's integrated computer access to read up on the crew that had agreed to follow him wherever he might lead. Somehow, he'd stolen a ship that had the most amazing team. Some rebels, a few hotshot pilots and a remarkable science team were mixed in with the by-the-book staff, the way that most teams were. Their commitment to finding John and supporting Evan told him they were, at heart, rebels as well. Why they would choose to follow his lead when they barely knew each other would be pondered at a later time.

Now he stood in front of his quarters hand raised to activate the biosensor, but before he could do so, the door slid open on the scowling face of his wife. Her arms were crossed and one foot tapped the floor in irritation.

"Um, hi." In the background he heard Cadence playing until she heard his voice then she came toddling over to him, arms upraised to be picked up. Gathering his daughter into his arms, he stepped inside so the door would close then leaned down to kiss Shannon, but she backed up and faced the shuttered window. He didn't blame her for either action. He'd almost split up their family and the first few times he'd flown through hyperspace, seeing it had made him nauseous. "Shannon…"

She advanced on him, poking him in the chest though she kept her voice even to avoid upsetting Cadence. "How _could_ you?"

"I'm sorry. If you'd stayed behind, you would've had plausible deniability when the NID came around. And they would've. This mission is going to be more dangerous than any I've ever been on and I didn't want the two of you involved."

Relenting just a little, Shannon let her arms fall to her sides. "I get it. But did you ever think about what it would be like for us to be on Earth not knowing if you were alive or…" She turned away again when tears threatened. "We've already lost John, Emily and the boys. We can't lose you too."

"You don't know that for sure. And I refuse to believe that Atlantis has been destroyed. That's why I'm going after them. Sheppard is a survivor. And if anyone can keep our people alive, it's him. I can't count the times that he and McKay saved us with one of their seat-of-the-pants maneuvers." Evan set Cadence in the makeshift playpen then slowly and carefully took his wife in his arms. She resisted at first but he refused to let go. Eventually she gave in, holding tight, her face buried against the side of his neck. "Still love me?"

Her soggy chuckle was muffled. "Don't be an idiot. Of course I do. Just don't do it again."

"I won't." He kissed her temple. "Let's get something to eat. Starting tomorrow we'll begin rationing our supplies, but tonight, we'll eat like royalty."

"Only if royalty lives on a stolen spaceship. Ya know, that makes you the captain of a ship full of pirates." Shannon put her shoes on, picked up Cadence and followed Evan from the room. As they neared the Mess Hall, two familiar faces came toward them. "Love, did I tell you that Jennifer and Rodney came aboard with me?"

"No, you didn't." He nodded in greeting. "Rodney. Jenn. Join us for dinner?"

Jennifer smiled and Rodney returned Evan's nod. "We're all in this together, so yes."

Evan raised one eyebrow, a wry grin on display as he took Cadence on his lap while Shannon went to get them something to eat. "When we return to Earth I'll be spending a few years in Leavenworth, but that's nothing compared to spending the next few nights in the doghouse for trying to leave my girls behind."

Scooting her chair close to the table, Jennifer shook her head. "We'll be fired. Might go to jail too." Rodney had gone through the food line with Shannon. The set up was similar to Ten-Forward from _Star Trek_, a combination dining room and lounge.

"Yeah, I can see how getting fired is worse than spending a few years in Leavenworth and the ending of my military career."

"What will you do?"

"Probably end up as a mall cop or a crossing guard in front of an elementary school." Evan shrugged. "I'll talk it over with Shannon, John and Emily before making any decisions. It's not like there's an urgent need at the moment. Let's just enjoy dinner and get a good night's sleep. In the morning we'll have a meeting with the senior staff. There are decisions that have to be made."

"I know. While Rodney and I were…"

"Stowing away…"

"Keeping our presence under the radar," she pulled out a small computer. "We made some notes."

"Good." Evan patted his back pocket. "Made a few of my own."

~~O~~

Shannon led the way as a pair of Marines helped carry the food trays to the table. She directed them to be placed in front of Evan and her seat at his side just as Livy Hudson and Eddie Weaver came in and found a table on the other side of the room. "Ev, you might've told me she was here."

"Jennifer?"

"No, love. _Her._" Shannon pointed to where Hudson was stirring sweetener into her tea while Weaver took a huge bite of his sandwich.

Evan's brow furrowed in confusion. "That's my 2IC, Major Hudson and tactical officer Captain Weaver. What of it?"

"Are you seriously telling me you don't remember her?"

Evan unwrapped his silverware and tucked the napkin into the front of his uniform shirt. Cadence grabbed another napkin and tried to do the same getting upset when Shannon took it from her and snapped a bib around her neck instead. "That's what I'm telling you."

"Remember when Flash got loose on the way to your sister's?"

"Yeah. But I don't…"

"That's _her!_ The one that caught our wayward cat."

Evan glanced over at Hudson, but her face still didn't ring a bell in relation to their layover at Area 51. He turned his attention back to Shannon who was cutting food into small pieces. She then put the pieces on a small plate and set it in front of Cadence.

"I'll take your word for it," he slipped his free hand around hers holding tight, "because I only have eyes for you."

Shannon snorted. "Good save, Lorne."

**New Lantea**

**Two Weeks Later**

"What've you got for us, McKay?"

Rodney didn't bother to turn around at Evan's question. "Same as when we first came into range. Atlantis was here. Now she's not. They left nearly three weeks ago according to the decay rate of their trail. If we'd gotten here a week later, there'd be no trail at all."

"How long you need for your scans?"

Rodney tapped at his tablet. "Uh, another hour or so will do it."

**Sixty-eight Minutes Later**

"We're ready when you are, Colonel." Rodney wasn't happy with the amount of information he and his team had gathered in the time they'd been at New Lantea. The first thing he'd had them do was check the Athosian settlement. There were a few bodies, but most of Teyla's people had made it out alive.

"Which way, doc? And make it simple."

"Fine." Rodney pushed away from the console he'd appropriated as "his" and stood next to the command chair, his hand pointing. "That way."

"You heard him, Major." Evan waved out the front viewscreen. "That way."

"Yes, Colonel."

Talking as he worked at his tablet, Rodney went to his bridge station. "We'll need to make a little jump, look around, jump, look around in case they changed course after they left."

"What about the wormhole drive?"

"They wouldn't have been able to use it. The drive was damaged when we destroyed the Superhive. By damaged I mean it worked but it didn't. It needed a major overhaul and we hadn't had a chance to work on it. If they tried to use it, that would account for us not being able to find them."

"Got it." Evan nodded. The Seeker changed course and headed out of the solar system. As they passed the moons of the last planet Evan got to his feet and went to stand between Weaver and Hudson's relief, Lieutenant Asher Benjamin.

"It looks like they changed course not long into the flight. Their trail indicates they were headed for MBJ-822."

"The planet with the beach a klick from the Stargate?" Evan shrugged. "Works for me. Captain Weaver, set course for…"

"Wait!" Rodney rushed to stop him. "There's…oh crap!"

"_What_, doc?"

"No-no-no-no!" The scientist who had moved into Rodney's place scurried out of the way when his superior came back. Rodney's movements became frantic, his hands skimming over the console as if it were a piano. Eventually he took his hands from the computer, dropping them into his lap in defeat.

"Doc!" Concern for his friend in his tone, Evan touched Rodney's shoulder to get his attention.

Rodney made a few false starts before getting up to speed. "There is a spatial anomaly between here and MBJ-822."

"And?"

"If we follow them, we too will end up wherever they are, but we don't know where that is. And yes, I do know that the ultimate goal of this little side trip to Court-martial Land and You-Are-So Fired World is to find them. But it will do us no good to go get them if we don't know how to get home."

A long drawn out exhalation came out of Evan's lungs. "But you can figure it out, right?"

Rodney got to his feet, scooped up his tablet and headed for the bridge exit.

"Doc!"

"_Yes._ I _can_ figure it out, but you have to leave me alone so I can concentrate. I'm going to my lab where I can work in peace."

The door closed in Evan's face as he tried to follow. He looked toward his bridge crew who were determinedly avoiding his gaze. "You heard Dr. McKay. Hold position until further notice."

Weaver was the only one brave enough to speak. "Yes, sir."

~~O~~

With not much to do while they were hanging in space, Weaver performed unnecessary routine diagnostics and basically just made himself look busy. When he'd run out of things to do, he sent a text message to his girlfriend in the science lab. He waited, but didn't get a response indicating that Dr. McKay was taking all her attention at the moment.

Hours went by without word and Weaver could feel Evan was getting antsy. He would sit then jump up and pace over and over. Sit, get up, pace. Sit, get up, pace.

Having lost count of how many times Evan had circled the bridge, Weaver came to a decision. He casually tapped his headset keeping his voice barely above a whisper. "Weaver to Hudson."

"_Hudson. What's up?_"

"It's the boss. He's wearin' a hole in the floor waitin' for McKay to get us coordinates. Help a guy out?"

"_Sure. Be there in five._"

~~O~~

True to her word, Hudson arrived on the bridge, her uniform pristine and every hair in place. It wasn't difficult as she'd recently cut it to just below her ears, bangs short and the sides layered to so she wouldn't have to pin it out of her eyes. She stopped beside the command chair. "Colonel."

"Major."

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Evan shift in his seat as if he weren't used to sitting all the time. From what she'd read, he was a hands-on type of commander. All this waiting around had to be driving him crazy.

"My wife reminded me that we've met before."

"Area 51. Two years ago tomorrow."

A droll smile turned up one corner of his mouth. "Ah, so _you_ didn't remember either."

Hudson chuckled. "Sorry, sir."

"Forget it." She stayed still waiting him out. Her patience was rewarded a short time later. "Can we do something for you, Major?"

"Just takin' a stroll." She shrugged and waited exactly five second before speaking again. "It's Nineteen thirty-seven, sir."

He waited exactly five seconds to respond. "You came all the way to the bridge to tell me the time?"

"No, sir." Now Hudson came around in front of Evan, her expression serious. "You should've been off duty over an hour ago."

"Your point, Major?"

Glancing around, she saw that everyone was occupied, and lowered her voice, leaning forward just a little. "As your second-in-command, it's my job to make sure you get enough downtime to keep you sharp. Plus you have a little girl you should be spending time with while you still can."

Evan got to his feet, tugged the waist of his jacket and stepped down next to her. She was only an inch shorter than him, their eyes level, both blue and both sparkling with a stubborn glint. "You are so right, Major. The bridge is yours. Try not to run into anything or McKay will have a fit."

"Do my best, Colonel." She waited until she was certain he was gone before making herself comfortable in the center seat.

**The Next Morning**

"…the anomaly is like a whirlpool in space. Atlantis would have been spun in circles and thrown from the vortex in any of a thousand directions including back toward New Lantea."

"But…"

Rodney raised a finger in the air to forestall Evan's question. "_But_ they weren't so that narrows down where they might have gone though only a miniscule amount."

"So…"

Now the physicist oozed smugness. "So, the genius that I am, I used some complicated mathematical calculations and a bit of guesswork to narrow the search area to…" His voice faded out and he cleared his throat. The big plasma screen on the wall lit up with a CGI of the area of space surrounding their location. One particular area lit up. "…a forty-five degree section of space. Naturally, the farther you get from the origination point, the more area there is to cover."

"I see that." Evan leaned on the edge of the desk. "We need a plan, a search pattern to cover as much area in the shortest possible time."

Rodney tapped the computer keys and the image on the monitor changed. "And I have created such a plan. If you'll look at the monitor…"

**TBC**


	2. Wherever We Are Together

"_I don't care if we have our house, or a cliff ledge, or a cardboard box. _

_Home is wherever we all are, together_."  
~ James Patterson

**Safe Haven**

**Chapter 2**

**Wherever We Are Together**

**Atlantis**

**Twelve Days Later**

"…Mr. Woolsey has yet to come out of his coma. There _is_ brain activity so we're hopeful for a full recovery." Amanda Cole sat next to John Sheppard in what used to be Jennifer McKay's office. Every time she entered another death certificate the tablet seemed to get heavier the next time she picked it up. It was her imagination, she knew. But knowing is one thing. Believing another and it didn't make it easier to deal with. Her staff walked around in a haze in between the medical emergencies though it did seem to be wearing off.

The first fatality on the medical staff had been Dr. Teresa Merrill, the base psychologist who was found in her office amongst the rubble. As the death toll grew, the medical team performed well on duty. Their off duty hours, however, concerned Amanda as survivor's guilt and pure grief set in.

John nodded and rubbed his eyes with his thumb and forefinger holding in a yawn. "And Teldy?"

Amanda tapped the screen. "She's made excellent improvement since the surgery so we've been weaning her off the respirator."

"At least she's not getting worse."

"Exactly. She was lucky we had a compatible heart or…" Amanda stopped when John's shoulders stiffened. He still hadn't dealt with Ronon's death though knowing his organs had allowed others to live who otherwise wouldn't have made it less difficult. "We're doing our best to maintain a physical therapy schedule, but we're understaffed. Emily-Mrs. Sheppard has been a big help as has Riley. The two of them have taken on the majority of the PT work leaving the rest of us to do the heavy lifting.

"Most of the other injuries have healed or are in the process. We still have a few broken bones that need to be watched, but that's it." She set the tablet aside.

"How could we have lost most of the military and science staff?"

"Same way we ended up," Amanda waved her arms at the universe in general. "Wrong place. Wrong time."

"Doesn't make it any easier." Leaning forward, elbows on his knees, John pushed both hands through his hair, exhaled loudly and got to his feet. "Until Woolsey comes out of it, I'm in charge and I need a second-in-command. Someone I can trust to carry out orders verbatim as well as the spirit when necessary."

"No."

"No, what?"

"I can't." Amanda got to her feet and paced to the desk. Facing him again, she leaned her hips against the edge. "I'm needed here."

John surprised her by snorting a laugh. "I wasn't talking about you."

"Oh." Disappointment slipped through her mind, but just for a moment, replaced by relief. "Sorry. I thought…"

John picked up the tablet from his lap and showed Amanda the files he'd called up prior to coming to the Infirmary. With a tap on the touch screen, he flipped through the records of several staff members. "I just wanted your professional opinion on who might fit the bill."

Amanda passed the tablet back without looking at the files. "I'm _not_ a psychologist, John."

"You're the closest we've got right now, doc."

"Really?" Amanda led the way out to the ward. They saw Dale at Teldy's bedside at the same time. John was about to call out to his son, stopped by Amanda's hand on his arm. He glanced at her and she put her finger to her lips for silence. "He comes every day and sits with the sickest and more seriously injured patients. When he leaves, we see a definite improvement in their conditions. The days he's not able to be here, there is not as much improvement. There's something there, John. I'd say he's a natural."

_That's one of my boys!_ "Wish I could take credit for it, but it's all Emily."

"I find that hard to believe, but okay. Now _go_ so I can check on my patients."

~~O~~

Dale shut off the computer and left the room he shared with his brother. He knew they were lost and wouldn't be returning to Earth anytime soon-he'd heard the adults talking-yet his mom insisted that he and Riley keep up their studies. The work he'd been assigned for today was done leaving him with nothing to do but watch movies.

John had told him on more than one occasion not to roam the halls without an adult and he tried to do as he was told. But he was bored and hungry. Mostly bored.

He opened the door, looking left and right before moving out into the hall keeping his eyes and ears attuned to the sounds around him in case one of the guards came along. Avoiding the transporters, he took the stairs to the Infirmary level where he walked through the ward deciding who to talk to first.

"Hey there." The head nurse, Marie, smiled brightly at him just as she always did. "Mr. Woolsey and Major Teldy have been asking for you."

Dale shrugged and grinned. A couple of days after Atlantis had landed on this planet, he'd started coming to the Infirmary and just talking to the patients. It was his and Marie's little joke that the comatose and unconscious patients were asking for him. "Who first?"

"Mmm. The Major, I think. She's being a little pushy today."

"Cool." Dale went to Major Teldy's beside. "Hi, Major. How are ya feelin' today?" He reached through the bars and touched her hand just as he always did, the fairness contrasting with her sun darkened skin. "Okay, so I was tellin' you about our dog, Bongo. We got him when he was just a puppy. Mom says he was dumb as a bag of rocks, but we loved him and he loved us." He opened the bedside table, took out a brush and began brushing Teldy's blond-streaked brown hair. "One time, we went campin' and he chased a porcupine. He came back with all these quills stuck in his butt. That was a couple o' summers before my dad moved out."

The brush went back in the drawer when Marie rolled a table over to him. A tub of warm water, a towel and a washcloth had been readied for his use. Marie folded the sheet down to Teldy's waist, gave Dale a smile and a pat on the shoulder then went back to her rounds.

"I'm gonna wash your face and hands now. I can't do the rest 'cause I'm a boy, but later, Mom said she'd come and help Marie or Isabelle finish." Dale wet the washcloth, wrung the excess water from it then started washing Teldy's face. "Bongo died a little while later of some dog disease."

He finished washing her hands then put the washcloth aside and unfolded the towel. "A little while later Uncle Evan and Aunt Shannon brought Suzie and Flash to live with us. They're cats from Australia. My aunt's from Australia too. She has the _coolest_ accent." Done drying Teldy's right ear and neck, Dale tossed the towel and washcloth in the laundry bin then put the brush away before taking her hand again. "I'm gonna go see Mr. Woolsey now. Won't need the brush for his hair though. Hope you feel better soon, Major. If ya need somethin' just tell Marie or Isabelle. Bye."

Dale moved over to Woolsey's bed and began the same routine telling the diplomat about learning to ride Botany.

And across the room, John and Amanda watched the boy helping in the only way he knew how.

~~O~~

The rec room was filled with every member of the staff that could be spared. Ambulatory patients were there, some pushing the wheelchairs of others who were on the road to recovery but couldn't yet walk the long distance on their own. Others would be watching from their quarters while the on duty staff tuned in from their workstations.

John started off with Dr. Martin Joval giving updates on the conditions of the most severely injured of their comrades. Many made sounds of frustration that Mr. Woolsey's condition was unchanged. Cheers went up at the news that Teldy had begun to show some improvement. Her body wasn't rejecting the heart and they hoped to be able to take her off the respirator soon.

When Joval returned to his seat, John went over a few minor points before getting to the important issues. "As you all know, I am the go-to guy until Mr. Woolsey is able to take over again. Most of my senior officers are either dead or incapacitated for the foreseeable future. That being the case, I'm going to need a second-in-command I can rely on to see to that things get done." John reached into his pant pocket and pulled something out keeping it hidden in his right hand. He cleared his throat and came to parade rest. "Campbell. Front and center!"

Chuck hustled to the front of the room, adopting the same stance as his CO.

"Sergeant Charles Campbell, I hereby award you a field promotion to the rank of Lieutenant." John opened his right hand, two silver bars nestled in the palm. "I know they're not regulation for Canada, but not much about his trip has gone according to the regs." Rather than affixing the bars to Chuck's jacket, John passed them to his new 2IC. Chuck switched them to his left hand and the two men shook hands.

"Thank you, sir. I'll do my best to justify your faith in me."

"I know you will, Lieutenant." Chuck nodded then returned to his seat. "Chuck and the science team have been working hard to get the hyperdrive going again. Unfortunately, our trip through the asteroid field damaged the drive to the point that we can't get it going without parts that we don't have. They're attempting to create the parts they need, but aren't having much success. Hopefully we'll make contact soon with a society with the technology to assist us so we can begin making our way home.

"And I really didn't want to bring this up, but it's imperative that we not forget the rationing. We have to make our supplies last until new trading partners are found or the Athosians bring in their first crops from the mainland."

John shifted his feet, his hands going behind his back again. "Many of our military were lost when we hit that anomaly and were thrown off course. We still don't know where we are, but we're working on it day and night. And though I hate to ask this of you, we need help. We are in no way in a position to repel an attack with our current resources. The first step in correcting this situation is to ask for volunteers to go through training to become a member of Atlantis' civilian militia. Each volunteer will be given the usual psych and physical evaluations.

"We'll continue to hide out on this uninhabited planet we've called Haven. Once our military is up to an acceptable strength, we'll begin sending teams through the Stargate to make contact with other societies." Too tired to keep pretending, John leaned on the edge of the podium. "If you'd like to join in on the fun, contact either Chuck or myself." Sweeping his gaze over the tired faces of the people who depended on him to keep them safe, he mustered up a confident smile. "Thanks for coming. Now let's get back to work."

The smile stayed until the room was empty then it left, followed by the strength to keep his shoulders and back straight. He pulled a chair over, straddled the seat and dropped his head onto his folded his arms. He hadn't experienced this level of fatigue since he'd first taken over command of the military after the death of Colonel Sumner.

The man who had spent the better part of his adult life sleeping where and when he could, alone more often than not, now could not sleep unless he was wrapped in his wife's arms. That's how he heard the heavy tread of boots walk across the rec room floor and come to a stop at his side.

"Dad?"

John didn't bother with pretense in the presence of his family. "Ry. What's up, pal?"

~~O~~

The crystals that controlled the rec room door had been removed, commandeered by the science team in their quest to complete the repairs and get them home, leaving the door standing open at all times. Riley had been part of the team that had been sent to remove crystals that were needed elsewhere for now.

John looked like he was sleeping. Something he knew his step-father hadn't done much of lately. Well, he was about to make it even harder. Riley cleared his throat. "Colonel Sheppard, sir. I'd like to join Atlantis' militia and begin training as soon as possible."

That brought John fully awake faster than having a bucket of cold water dumped over his head. Something Riley and Dale had done on a couple of occasions during one of their prank filled weekends.

Now they were stranded God knows where with no idea when they'd get home again. It was time to grow up. Take on more responsibility. Be a man. He'd studied the military and knew how things worked. Had even taught himself the proper stances and the situations under which each was used. All he needed was weapons and combat training. And his mother's permission.

Slowly getting to his feet, John's expressionless eyes didn't leave Riley's face making the teenage boy just a little uncomfortable, though he didn't let it show.

John's clasped his hands behind his back, his spine straightening. "You talk to your mom?"

"No, sir. I…wanted to run it by you first. See what you had to say before I mentioned it to her." In just the short time since the Soura attack and their hasty departure from New Lantea, Riley noticed that he'd grown another few inches and was now as tall as John. The work he'd done with the repair crews had strengthened his muscles, given him more definition in his upper body, arms and legs. It would take a few months of intense workouts, but eventually he would have six pack abs. But all he wanted right now was for John to agree to take him on. "And before you tell me I'm too young, remember that there are countries on Earth in which it is customary to use children as young as seven years old as soldiers."

One side of John's mouth twitched upward in a wry expression of humor. "I wouldn't bring that up when you talk to your mom."

"Yes, sir." Riley's hands dropped to his sides as he followed John from the room. "Dad?"

"Yeah?"

"Will you come with me when I talk to her?"

"Not afraid are you?"

Riley shrugged, adding a sheepish grin. "A little."

Slapping him on the shoulder, John grinned in return. "_You_ are on your own. Just make sure she knows it was _your_ idea and not mine."

"I will. And Dad?"

John turned back at the corner. "Yeah?"

"Thanks."

"You're welcome. Now _go._ I've got work to do."

Riley nodded and smiled before turning the corner out of sight.

~~O~~

Teyla laid out Torren's clothes then went to the main room. "It's time for your bath."

"Yes, Mother." The boy, who looked more like his birth father every day, got to his feet. He was also beginning to speak like his step-father. Or rather the man who had taken on that role though they hadn't yet made the decision to become husband and wife. But knowing that Ronon's death had saved so many helped ease the pain of his loss though not completely. It would have helped to talk to Dr. Merrill however, that was not an option. "When you're done and dressed, we're going to dinner with Emily and Dale."

"Uncle John and Riley won't be there?"

"No, my son. Both will be working tonight."

"Why?" Torren's guileless question made her smile.

"They are trying to determine if there are Stargates in this region of space. If so, we can begin to trade with other planets and hopefully find someone that has the technology to repair the wormhole drive so we can go home."

"Okay." He took his mother's hand. "I miss Ronon."

"I do too." Crouching in front of Torren, she hugged him to her.

"Okay. Can we go to the mainland and visit soon? Andren said he would take me to the forest and teach me to track."

"Maybe in a few days. Your studies come first." She turned him around and patted his backside gently. "Now go take your bath."

"Yes, Mother."

~~O~~

The room was dark as night, mostly because there were no windows. Emily touched the sensor, but only brought the lights up half way. It was her way of saving precious power. She'd never been afraid of the dark, but now she hated it. It meant they were far from home. John had promised to get them back to Earth and she believed that he believed he would. This being her first experience in space, she wasn't as sure as her husband, but she would stand by him no matter what.

Going to the sofa, she sat down and pulled the blanket around her to calm the chills that racked her body when she thought about their landing on this planet. She and boys had been in the Infirmary doing what they could to help the medical staff with the many injuries. Sometimes all they could do was hold someone's hand while their life faded away. Other times it was handing the doctors and nurses what they needed to do the job.

Emily had been assisting Amanda and a nurse with Ronon. The big man had been hit by falling debris while shielding others as they rushed to the center of the tower where it was safest. His head had been so bloody, Emily had been afraid to touch him. Amanda had used the portable scanner and found that the damage to his brain had been too extensive. Surgery would've been futile, but he had been put on life support anyway so his organs could be harvested. Without his…gifts others would've died. Major Teldy, for one. She'd been the recipient of the Satedan's heart.

Watching from the observation area as Ronon's heart was removed, Emily had wondered if Teldy's body could even accommodate the larger heart, but it nestled comfortably within the Major's chest, pumping her blood and allowing her body to heal itself. She was still in a coma, but she was doing better considering she had been clinically dead for two minutes. They wouldn't know if her cognitive functions would be impaired until she woke up. _If _she woke up.

Getting to her feet, Emily went into the kitchen for something to drink before Teyla arrived with Torren. The two women had become friends in the month since they'd arrived on this planet.

Haven. This planet would be their haven until they could fix the drive. They'd chosen this planet specifically because it was unoccupied by humans and it had no Stargate of its own making it a good place to hide. Chuck and his team had been working hard to figure out where they were and how to get back to the Pegasus galaxy.

The chime rang and Emily went out to let Teyla and her son in. Dale would be joining them shortly.

**The Next Day**

"No!"

"But Mom…"

Emily turned her back on Riley, anger and fear coming off of her in waves. "You're only fifteen. How can you possibly think I would allow you to join the military?"

Riley refused to let Emily get away with not looking him in the eye while they talked. He stood in place, feet shoulder width apart, arms crossed just like his dad when he knew he was right. "I'm not backing down. I can _do_ this. I _want_ to do this. But John-Dad won't let me without your permission."

"You talked to your step-father before talking to me?"

"He's in charge. In a small society like this, everything we do affects everyone else. We can't afford for anyone to just get by. We _all_ have to pull together. I've been helping Dr. Cole by doing physical therapy on some of the patients, but I need to do…more."

Finally facing her son, Emily's anger slid away though the fear stayed. "What if you get hurt?"

Letting out a heavy sigh, Riley rubbed the back of his head. "Remember when I was eleven? I fell off my bike and broke my wrist?"

"Of course. I just don't see what…"

"You didn't stop letting me ride once my arm healed."

"No, but that's…"

"Different?" Seeing that his mother was close to giving in, he pushed his advantage. "What if _John_ got hurt? Or _Dale_? Or _anyone_? We could be dead now instead of the ones we lost. And if we were hurt or worse, we would deal with it and move on. We can't let the chance of that happening stop us from doing things or we'd have stayed in California and wouldn't be in this situation." He paused for breath then continued. "I'd already planned on joining the Air Force when I graduated high school. I'll keep up my studies so I'm ready when we get back to Earth."

He saw the moment when she gave in. It was there in her eyes. Some of the sparkle had gone out of them. "Promise?"

Smiling, Riley hugged his mother. "Thanks, Mom! I'm gonna go tell John. I mean, Colonel Sheppard." He waited until the door closed before letting out a loud whoop of joy then running for the stairs to go find his step-father and tell him the good news.

**A Few Days Later**

Amanda finished stitching a wound on the leg of one of the cleaning crew, applied an antibiotic cream and covered it with a bandage. "You know the drill. See you in a few days."

The Marine hopped off the table favoring his sore leg. "Thanks, doc."

As the young soldier went out, Dale was coming in. She smiled a greeting. "I'm glad you're here, Dale."

"Hi, Dr. Cole. Need some help today?"

"We certainly do." She draped an arm around the boy's shoulder leading him out to the ward. "Mr. Woolsey's not doing as well as I'd hoped. Think you could sit with him for a while? Talk to him. He needs to know that his family misses him and is waiting for him to get better."

"Okay."

Amanda watched him walk away, his shoulders slumped in defeat. But he didn't stay that way. By the time he reached Woolsey's bedside, the smile was back on his young face. And though she wanted to listen to the one-sided conversation, she had work to do.

~~O~~

Reaching through the bars, Dale took hold of Woolsey's hand disappointed when the diplomat's much large hand didn't squeeze back. "So what should we talk about today, Mr. Woolsey?" Thinking for a moment, Dale decided where to start.

"You already know we're lost. But we found a planet to lay low on until we can get to know with the locals. That's what John says. So we're hiding out here on Haven until he says we're ready. Mom says as long as we're all together, its home.

"John's gonna train some of the civilians to be soldiers and Riley's gonna join them. Mom's not happy, but Ry is really excited. Says he's gonna be the best of the best. Whatever _that_ means.

"Ya know, I don't really like guns and stuff, but Riley's been wantin' to be in the military as long as I can remember. He was gonna join Army but changed his mind after John married Mom." Dale paused again. "But I don't want ya to worry about us 'cause my dad's got everything under control. Mom says he's got a…a hero complex. I asked her what that means and she said that he's like Spiderman. He's just _gotta_ save the day. But you work on gettin' better 'cause we need you."

**TBC**


	3. Narrow and Crooked

"_Pursue some path, however narrow and crooked, in which you can walk with love and reverence._"  
~ Henry David Thoreau

**Safe Haven**

**Chapter 3**

**Narrow and Crooked**

Walking with his head down over the tablet he carried, Evan found the Mess Hall by instinct alone. Or at least he wanted his crew to think that. What he'd done was get off the lift on the level where the Mess Hall and gym were located and followed his nose with the occasional glance up to keep from running into people and walls.

As he approached the entrance, his ears pricked up when he heard his name and though he knew it wasn't right, he listened in. They said complimentary things about him though they couldn't have known he was there. That's how he found out the nickname he'd been given. All his years in the military he'd never been given a nickname by the people in his command. He liked it, but wasn't sure how to encourage them without telling everyone he'd been eavesdropping. _Oh, what the hell._ He powered down the computer and boldly walked up to the table, nodding to Weaver, Hudson, physicist Dr. Fin Morgan, Nurse Frank Li and pilot Captain Juliska Majoros. "Boss?"

They started to stand, returning to their seat when he waved them down, Hudson speaking for them. "We didn't see you there, sir."

Evan rocked heel to toe. "News flash. You weren't supposed to. Of course, I shouldn't have been listening in on your private conversation so let's call it even." Nods of agreement flowed around the table. "Hudson."

The first officer picked up her coffee and followed Evan to a table in the corner. He preferred to be away from the noise and chatter when alone or speaking with a member of the crew. When joined by his family, he took a table closer to the food lines or the door if Cadence was restless so he and Shannon could make a quick getaway. He nodded when one of the serving staff set a glass of ice tea and a lemon square on the table. Before the server could leave, he requested a second fork and cut the lemon square in half offering to share with Hudson.

"Sorry about before, sir." She picked up a fork and took a bite.

"Don't be." He took a bite of the dessert and long drink of tea before continuing. "Let's talk about your conduct on the bridge the day we went AWOL."

"_My_ conduct?"

"As the second in command, it was your responsibility to have me thrown in the brig_._"

Her sharp exhale of relief almost made him smile. "And?"

"Why didn't you?"

"Permission to speak freely, Boss?" She visibly relaxed back in her chair, crossing one leg over the other at the lift on his right eyebrow. "What good would it have done? You would've found another way to go after your family. If I'd followed the regs, I would right now be kicking my own ass for not going with my heart."

Accepting her explanation, Evan asked the next question. "Know anyone on Atlantis?"

"Just in passing. Taught a couple classes to some of the jarheads and met Colonel Sheppard once. That's it."

Taking the last bite of his half of the dessert, Evan chewed thoughtfully. He wiped crumbs from his mouth then took another long sip of tea. "The only family I have is on Atlantis so you're right. I would've found a way to go after them."

"Just to set the record straight, the entire crew agrees with your reasons for going off the grid and is ready to stand with you whatever happens."

"Noted. I do have one more request."

"Name it."

The ship bucked from the impact of weapons on their shields a moment before the PA came to life. "_All personnel to their duty stations! This is not a drill! Colonel Lorne and Major Hudson to the bridge!"_

Evan and Hudson were out the door before Benjamin's voice faded.

~~O~~

The _Seeker_ bucked and lurched with the force of the enemy's weapons hitting the shields. Hudson fell into her seat as it was vacated by her relief who ran from the bridge to his duty station in engineering just as Evan skidded to a stop between her and Weaver. "Report!"

"Three ships. Unfamiliar design. They just dropped out of hyperspace and started shooting."

Dr. Fin Morgan entered the bridge, moving quickly to the science station where Rodney usually sat. During firefights, Rodney's station was in engineering. With one ear, Evan listened to Fin run his hands over the science controls. "Colonel, the specs on our enemy are coming up now."

Evan's eyes widened in shock and confusion before Fin could complete his scans of the three ships displayed on the main viewscreen. "The Soura."

"Pardon?" Fin's tone was distracted as he continued to sift through the info coming from the sensors.

"Mr. Woolsey negotiated an alliance with the Soura just before I returned to Earth."

Hudson kept the ship moving to make them less of a target for the Soura's weapons. "Then why are they shooting at us?"

"Let's find out. Hail them." Hudson did as directed nodding to let him know communications were open. "This is Colonel Evan Lorne commanding the _Seeker_. Please identify yourselves."

The viewscreen came to life with the face of one of Antaeus' underlings. "_I am Henricos, commander of the Soura space fleet. The vessel you have illegally appropriated is the rightful possession of the Ancients. You and your kind are unworthy trespassers. First in the great city of Atlantis and now you slap us in the face with your continued disrespect to the Soura's obviously superior claim to all things created by the Ancients._"

"_What_ are you talking about? We have alliance. When you left Atlantis, all that remained was to make it official with the celebration."

"_A celebration that __you__ were to attend, not send an underling in your place. How __dare__ you…_"

Evan waved a hand to stop the flow of rhetoric. "Colonel Sheppard is _not_ my underling. He's my CO, my superior officer in the branch of the military in which we both serve."

To the surprise of the entire bridge staff, Henrico laughed. "_Sheppard and Woolsey are __cowards__. They flew away without firing a single shot the moment we engaged them in combat. Of course we gave chase, however we lost them when they entered the anomaly."_

Hudson exchanged a glance with Evan. "How is it you weren't sucked in too?"

"_My scientists tell me that the backwash from their passage knocked out our engines sparing us the same fate_."

In an attempt to salvage their previous relationship, Evan chose his words carefully. "I'm glad your people weren't harmed. We would appreciate any assistance you could provide that would allow us to locate our people." He gestured for Fin to join him. "This is Dr. Finlay Morgan, one of our scientists. If he could coordinate with your science team, compare notes on the anomaly, perhaps…"

"_No! You will __not__ fool us again, Senior Soldier Lorne. Our scientific information is proprietary and will remain for the Soura alone._"

"But…"

"_Enough talk! Pray to your creator for mercy because you will receive none from us._" Henricos nodded and the screen went black.

"_That_ went well," Evan muttered under his breath as Fin returned to the science station. "Hudson, Weaver…" He stumbled, catching himself by grabbing the back of Hudson's chair, when the Soura began firing on them again. "Return fire! Prepare to launch fighters on my mark!"

The crew didn't bother to acknowledge his orders. They simply carried them out without fuss or unnecessary chatter. Evan managed to keep his feet until he literally fell into the center seat. He hit the comm. "Lorne to McKay! Increase shields to maximum!"

"_The shields are already pushed beyond their tolerances. If we don't ease back a little, the shield generators will burn out and we'll be sitting ducks._"

"We're gettin' beat down here, doc. Can we jump to hyperspace?"

"_No. We've rerouted power from the engines to shore up the shields. We're not going anywhere until they stop shooting at us. Which will have to be in the next ten minutes or…_"

"Got it." Evan shut off the comm and opened a new line. "Lorne to 302 bay. Prepare to…"

"Colonel!" Weaver shouted above the alarms and sparking of short circuiting consoles. "It's the _Daedalus_ and the _Hammond_, sir!"

"The cavalry." One side of Evan's mouth lifted in wry humor. "Let's show the Soura how it's done, team. Give 'em hell."

"Yes, Boss!"

The shaking eased off as two of the enemy spacecraft engaged the _Hammond_ and the _Daedalus_ allowing _Seeker_ to return power to the engines. Watching the battle on the viewscreen, Evan kept his orders to a minimum letting his people do their jobs without interference from him. Sudden activity in the bottom left of the screen caught his eye. He leapt to his feet. "Evasive action!"

Weaver had seen the Soura ship at the same time and was already taking steps to keep them from being rammed. The ship tilted to the left then the right before making a spinning "dive." The engines whined, centrifugal force nearly overriding the inertial dampeners, knocking Fin and several other crew members to the floor. Evan maintained his seat as long as possible, but eventually his grip failed and he was thrown across the bridge, ramming against the console near Benjamin's station.

The young Lieutenant glanced down at their now unconscious leader then back to his screen. "Major Hudson! They're following!"

Hudson grinned cheekily. "Good! Divide and conquer, Lieutenant!"

"Yes, ma'am! Um, what's the plan?"

"Attack and retreat." Hudson snorted.

Weaver's grin matched the Major's. "So hit them then run away."

"Yes." Hudson snorted. "And we all live to fight another day."

"Got it!" Weaver hit the comm, his voice echoing throughout the ship. "All hands. Hold onto your butts!"

Between Hudson's and Weaver's exemplary flying skills, they enticed Henricos' ship to chase them, effectively diminishing the power of the Soura by one-third. The Seeker had superior speed on her side and they used it to outdistance their tail so they could jump into hyperspace for just long enough to hide behind one of New Lantea's moons.

Hudson hit the comm. "Shut down all systems! Now!" All power shut down except the emergency lights. The soft susurrations of the environmentals stopped, the only sound the breathing of the crew.

Lifting his head from the floor, Evan looked around. "Crap! How long have I been out?"

"Not long, Boss." Hudson let her hands rest on the edge of the console, her chest heaving with the huge amounts of adrenaline being dumped into her bloodstream.

Getting to his feet, Evan touched his forehead, his hand coming away with blood. "What goin' on?"

"Hide and seek. We're gonna lay low here and…" The Soura ship had slowed down, obviously searching for their prey and finding nothing. Just the way Hudson had planned. "Wait for it…wait for it…and…Now! Full power! Take out shields and weapons only!"

Her orders were carried out so quickly that Evan found himself blinking rapidly in the brightness when the power came back up, unable to see what was happening at first. His vision cleared in time to see the Soura ship made an attempt to fight back. One last shudder and the firing stopped. A shimmering blob appeared in space and a moment later, the Soura ship was gone. "Good work. Return to New Lantea, Major. See if _Hammond_ and _Daedalus_ need help."

"Yes, Boss." Breathing a sigh of relief, the Major turned the Seeker in time to see the other two Soura ships follow the first one into hyperspace.

~~O~~

Rodney rushed onto the bridge. "Colonel."

"Doc. What've you got for us?"

Fin scurried out of the way, standing to one side while Rodney took over the station. "We've analyzed all the readings we took on the Soura ships."

"And?"

"They're scavengers. Very little of the tech they have on board actually belongs to them." Rodney hit a few more keys. "I'm seeing Genii, Ancient, Asuran, Wraith, a few I don't recognize. They've done what we did in integrating alien tech with our own, but on a much grander scale."

"I'm not surprised. Something about Antaeus just didn't sit right. He insisted on a full tour of Atlantis then when the time came to reciprocate, he refused to allow even Woosley on board." Evan shrugged.

"If they'd put as much energy into advancing their own technology instead of stealing from others, they would be on a level at least a hundred years ahead of Earth." The smugness in his tone came over his lips as well. "By the way, the Soura need to work on their firewalls. Before they took off, I was able to access their computer and download all their info on the anomaly."

"And?"

"We now have a better idea of where Atlantis went. There's still a lot of area to cover, but at least we've got it narrowed down to just a few billion light years instead of the entire universe." His smile faded when Hudson interrupted.

"Boss? We're being hailed by the _Hammond_."

Rodney shared a glance with Evan. "What're you gonna tell them?"

"The truth." Evan took a confident, relaxed stance in front of the center seat. "On screen, Major."

~~O~~

Carter stood in front of the viewscreen, hands clasped behind her back. She was about to have Rajesh repeat the hail when he looked over his shoulder and nodded. Her first view of the _Heracles_' bridge should have been a shock, but it wasn't. "Colonel Lorne."

"Colonel Carter."

"I must say I didn't expect to drop in on a firefight."

One side of Evan's mouth twitched upward. "Sorry about that. The Soura aren't very good neighbors. Thanks for the assist, by the way."

"You're welcome. But we both know that's not why we're here." The small talk grated on Carter's nerves. She came to attention, her tone shifting into the formal. "Lieutenant Colonel Evan Lorne, you are under arrest for theft of SCG property, being absent without leave and willfully disobeying direct orders on several occasions. Relinquish your sidearm and prepare to be taken into custody…"

Evan came to attention as well, his eyes not meeting hers. "Sorry, ma'am. I can't do that."

Carter let the rigidness go out of her spine and saw that Evan was following her lead. It gave her some insight into his state of mind. She knew he was determined to bring his family home. But he'd disobeyed orders and that couldn't be swept under the carpet. "Evan, I understand that you want to be involved in the search for Atlantis, but this isn't the way to do it."

"General O'Neill left me no choice."

"You should've appealed the decision. General O'Neill can be reasonable…sometimes." She took another step forward and Evan did the same. "If you had come to me, I could've added my voice to yours, helped convince him."

"Couldn't take the chance." Lowering his voice, he let their friendship take over. "I appreciate your concern, Sam, but we have to be on our way."

Carter watched Evan lift his chin defiantly. Rodney came to stand next to the center seat, hands clasped behind his back and his eyes begging her to forgive him for siding with Evan. She shot an apology to her friends before taking the next step. "Major Hudson, you are hereby ordered to take Colonel Lorne into custody and assume command of the _Heracles_."

"_Seeker_, ma'am."

"Pardon?"

"The name of this ship is the _Seeker_," Evan told her.

"And I'm sorry, Colonel Carter. I can't do as you're requesting." Hudson took her hands from the console and dropped them into her lap. Trying not to show her surprise, Carter watched as one by one, every member of the bridge crew did the same. Evan took slow and even steps until he stood between Hudson and Weaver.

~~O~~

"If you'll excuse me, I'll have a word with my crew." The audio shut off. Evan's smile left as he made an about face, whispering his next words. "Target weapons and hyperdrive on both ships, but do _not_ fire unless I give the order." Head down, Hudson nodded once, hands returning to the controls as did Weaver's. "Doc, give them a heading. Take us out on my mark."

Rodney's confidence evaporated. "But I haven't had time to go over all the data. We could end up…"

"Any heading will do. We'll change course once we're clear. And make it your best guess, Rodney." The physicist returned to his station as Evan once again faced Carter's image, activating the audio. "Colonel Carter, please give my apologies to Generals O'Neill and Caldwell. _Seeker_ out." He strode to the center seat. "Hit it, Major. Make the jump to hyperspace as soon as possible."

Though he couldn't see it, he could hear the smile in Hudson's voice. "Yes, Boss!"

Aurora-class ships were fully Ancient unlike the _Hammond_ and _Daedalus_. Though the two Earth ships gave chase, the Seeker easily outdistanced them and making the leap into hyperspace.

~~O~~

Shannon caught her breath in that brief moment between normal space and the weirdness Evan called hyperspace. No matter what she was doing, she felt it. The one time they'd made the jump while she was sleeping, she'd awakened suddenly, unable to breathe. She'd talked to Jennifer who had assured her it would get better with time.

And God blessed their little girl who didn't seem to be afraid of anything, including the shaking of the ship during the space battle. Even now, Cadence sat on the padded area of the floor playing with her toys and speaking in the language of her age group. When the transition came, the little girl looked up, clearly saying, "Dada!"

Shannon wasn't at all surprised that Cadence had made the connection between the two. She just wished she could be as relaxed about the situation.

Scooping up her child, Shannon grabbed the black duffle bag and the bear covered canvas bag from beside the door and headed for the Infirmary. On the way, an announcement came over the PA. The fear in Rodney's voice galvanized her into action and she broke into a jog.

"_Attention all hands! Brace for a really BIG impact!_"

They reached the medical bay, Jennifer closing and locking the door behind her. "Take Cadence into my office and sit on the floor under the desk. It's bolted to the deck." The rest of the medical staff were huddled under counters and inside cabinets.

"But Evan…"

"He'll be fine. _Now_, Shannon!"

The look in Jennifer's eyes scared Shannon so much she automatically obeyed the order. A moment later, she was startled when the medical doctor wedged herself inside the small space with them, wrapping her arms around both Lorne girls and pushing their heads down.

Shannon held Cadence tightly to her chest with one hand while the other gripped tightly around Jennifer's waist, holding a scream as the ship began to shake, flinging everything from the shelves onto the floor. Jennifer had pushed the desk chair to the other side out of the way. As the ship tilted side to side, the chair rolled first one way then the other until it finally tipped over.

"Hold on!" Jennifer's grip tightened as the _Seeker_ shook wildly then dropped so fast Shannon's stomach heaved. The ship spun in circles until she was dizzier than she'd ever been then was flung through space twisting and turning as if they were rolling along a narrow and crooked path at previously unknown velocities.

**TBC**


	4. Sunshine and Rain

"_If you think sunshine brings you happiness, then you haven't danced in the rain._"

~ Author Unknown

**Safe Haven**

**Chapter 4**

**Sunshine and Rain**

The words on the monitor blurred and swirled. John rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands, yawned then reached for the cup of tea he was drinking in place of coffee until the first crop of coffee beans came in. If the cultivation worked out as he hoped, the Atlanteans would be enjoying freshly brewed coffee in a few months. As the leader pro-tem, he had to set an example. Emily and Riley made no complaints about the restrictions though Dale did mourn the loss of his favorite drink, Yoo-hoo.

Not to mention several other boring but nutritionally rich crops. Until then, rationing was the only answer, and not just coffee. Other food items were getting low. Some they would have to trade for. And though no one mentioned it, they would eventually have to find a way to make their own ammunition. To do so, they'd need the correct ingredients. He'd been reading up on it and was sure he had a good grasp of what they would need and how to get it done.

He planted his left elbow on the desk and dropped his head onto it while his right continued to poke the down arrow as he read the report displayed. The reports came in weekly for all departments except medical. They were by turns the most interesting and the most disheartening. Woolsey's condition had begun to deteriorate while Teldy had improved to the point that she'd been taken off the respirator. She still hadn't awakened. When she did, Amanda would let her read the reports in order to give him verbal summaries to take some of the pressure off of having to read the full reports.

"Sir?"

"Come in, Chuck."

The newly minted Lieutenant stepped inside, a tablet held in one hand. "We've completed the dialing program and now have a list of planets that have Stargates. I took the liberty of sending MALPs through. So far, we've located several with human populations though the highest level of technology is MJM-965, roughly equivalent to the mid 1700's."

"So no one we can go to for help?"

"Only if we need stone knives and bear skins."

"Funny." John got to his feet and stretched.

Hitting a few keys, Chuck sent the list of planets to John along with a summary of the MALP's data. "All the residents have knowledge of life on other planets. Their curiosity stems from our equipment being different than what they're used to. It's all in the reports."

"Thanks." Chuck stood to the side to let John pass then followed.

"Off duty, sir?"

"No. Teaching a weapons class for the new recruits." Slanting his eyes to the side, John grinned. "How're _your_ skills, Lieutenant?"

"Marginal, sir. Not much cause for a geek to be chasing bad guys with guns."

"If McKay can do it, you can." When they reached Operations, Chuck excused himself and turned toward his duty station, stumbling to a stop at John's next words. "Join us."

"Excuse me, sir?"

Again John grinned, this time at his subordinate's slack-jawed stare. "Everyone needs to know how to handle a weapon and you should set an example."

"Uh…yes, sir." Chuck handed the tablet to Cho and followed John down the stairs to the armory. From there they headed to the target range.

John nodded a greeting to the class, a mixture of men and women, some scientists, some civilians. All green in the use of weapons. "In our last class, we went over the different types of weapons and they're specs. Today we're going over the basics of actually firing the weapons." He motioned Chuck to his side. "Show us how it's done, Lieutenant."

"Of course, Colonel." Chuck picked up a Glock, shoved the cartridge home and aimed at the target, his finger poised to flick off the safety.

Dropping his right hand on the Canadian's shoulder, John silently told him to wait. "Can anyone tell me what Chuck is doing wrong? Mr. Sullivan." John's son stepped forward.

"His first mistake was…"

~~O~~

Dr. Evelyn Sayers leaned on the railing, a soggy tissue wadded in her left hand. Her right hand held a bottle of Coke. She had a stash in her room that she hadn't told anyone about and didn't intend to. It was hers and she refused to share it with anyone. Holding the bottle up to the glow from the moon she saw that it was half empty.

_Used to be a half full kind of person. I guess this is what happens when you lose so many people you care about all at once._

The wind picked up, ruffling her short brown hair. Lightning flashed on the horizon signaling that they'd be getting a storm soon. She could feel it in the air and made a mental note to look closer at it just in case it became more than a light show. Her specialty was climatology and geology so she spent her days predicting the weather.

She'd also volunteered for the burial detail. The faces of the dead swam through her dreams. Not to accuse, but begging not to be forgotten. Especially Radek's. They had been friends for many years and he had personally requested her as part of the Atlantis expedition.

They had met when Evelyn and a few friends had traveled through the UK and parts of Europe during a summer break from university. While in Brno, Moravia, Czech Republic, her friends had gone sight-seeing. She'd awakened with a migraine and had stayed in the hotel to rest. When she felt better, she'd gone for a walk, stopping to have lunch at a small café that advertised English was spoken there.

Radek had been sitting at the next table with several thick textbooks, his curly hair sticking out from his head making him look like a clown. Though she couldn't read the text, the complicated mathematical equations could only belong to physics. He caught her watching him and had smiled. She returned the smile and went back to her book, a first edition of _Pride and Prejudice_, a gift from her grandmother on her last birthday.

A few minutes later, Radek tapped her on the shoulder. He was trying to learn English by reading a Czech to English dictionary and was asking if she would help. They'd spent the next couple of hours talking and laughing as each tried to learn the other's language.

Now here she was, lost in space, far from the planet of her birth and her family though thankfully with her best friend. While Radek was in the chair room dying, she'd been trapped in the hologram room working with her team on terraforming research.

Tears threatened again. She took a drink of the Coke to try to stop them nearly jumping at the sound of another voice.

"Hi."

Colonel Sheppard's youngest son stood there gazing at her with a guileless expression, a box under one arm. "Uh, hi."

"Whatcha doin'?"

"Thinking."

"About what?"

Evelyn smiled at his open curiosity. "Home."

He sighed loudly, a frown turning down the corners of his mouth. "Me too. I miss my friends, my dad-he's got a new girlfriend, but I'm making new friends and Mom, Riley and John are here." Moving over to her side, he glanced at the bottle, but didn't mention it. "You look lonely. Wanna play _Battleship_ with me? Torren's too young and everyone else is busy. I'm Dale, by the way."

"My name is Evelyn. And I would _love_ to play with you."

"Cool!" They moved over to the bench and set up the game. "What do ya do, Evelyn?"

"I'm a climatologist specializing in paleoclimatology and geology." At his blank stare, she explained. "I study the weather, the weather history of planets and rocks."

"Oh. I'm ten. I study whatever Mom and Dad tell me to study."

Laughing for the first time since they landed on Haven, Evelyn finished placing her ships. "I remember those days. Now I study what_ I_ want to. So what do you want to do?"

"When I grow up? I dunno. I like art, but I also like playin' video games and helping people. Maybe something like that."

"So if I needed someone to talk to, I could come to you?"

"Sure."

They fell silent for a few minutes. "I miss my family."

Dale sorted his red and white pegs then looked up with a smile. "I'm sure they miss you too. When I miss my dad, my dad on Earth, I look at the stars and imagine he's looking at some of the same ones and missing me too."

Stopping with a handful of pegs she was sorting, Evelyn was stunned. She'd never thought of their situation that way. "_You_ are a very smart boy."

Dale rolled his eyes. "That's what my parents and John say all the time. It's _really_ annoying."

"I bet. This was your idea. You go first."

"B7."

"Miss. D9."

~~O~~

The Infirmary hummed with activity, nurses, doctors, medics and helpers moving here and there doing things that Dale only had a vague idea about. He just ignored them as he filled a basin with warm water. Tucking a towel and washcloth under his arm, he carried the basin to Teldy's bedside.

The Air Force Major was on her back, wires attached to her chest and temples, as well as the oxygen sensor on her left hand and the IV in the back of the same hand. Whenever he bathed her, he took great care not to bump the needle. Today he didn't talk while he washed her hands and face. He'd just spent a half hour with Joval. The doctor had been having difficulty sleeping since they'd had the funeral for those they'd lost in the fight.

It had been explained to Dale by his mother and John that they couldn't leave the bodies in the morgue because they needed the room for purposes that benefited the living. Dale hadn't liked it, but understood that his step-father had to keep the bigger picture in mind.

It wasn't really the morgue. There were too many bodies and other arrangements had to be made. They'd been placed in one of the Mess Hall's freezers. When Atlantis finally met others they could trade with, they'd need somewhere to store the food. From what John said, that time would be soon.

Taking out the hair brush, Dale gently moved Teldy's hair from under her head and drew the bristles through the strands. "I joined the soccer team last year. The coach was nice and all, but I wasn't very good at first. Then Riley and I practiced all summer and when school started, I got to play in most of the games. One time, the other team's goalie, Billy Marston, kept laughing at the way I was runnin'. Said I ran like a _girl_. That made Sally Bormann _really_ mad 'cause she's the best player on our team. The next time she came down the field, she kicked the ball at Billy's head. It bounced at me and I kicked it in for a goal."

Teldy's hand squeezed and released Dale's, but he thought nothing of it because it had happened on more than a few occasions. The first time, he'd gotten so excited he'd tripped over a rolling table and had fallen at the feet of the nurse, Marie, who patiently explained that such movements are reflexive, not responses to external stimuli. She started to explain, but Dale understood and told her so.

With a sigh, he laid Teldy's hand on her stomach. "I'm gonna go sit with Dr. Garcia for a while. He got Ronon's spleen because his was injured in the fight. He's gettin' out tomorrow. Bye." Dale didn't even get one step before his hand was grabbed.

Teldy's eyes fluttered open and she smiled. "Don't go yet. Tell me more about the game. Did you score another goal?"

"You're awake!" Dale looked around frantically, finally spotting one of the doctors. "Hey! Hey! Major Teldy's awake!"

"Marie!" Joval rushed to her bedside. "Anne? It's Martin. Can you hear me?"

"'Course I can hear you, Marty. Not deaf." Teldy blinked then looked at him, a smile coming to her face that turned to confusion. "What'm I doin' in the Infirmary?" She tried to sit up, falling back when a sharp pain made her moan. The hand not holding onto Dale touched her chest feeling the sealed incision. "Did we get away?"

~~O~~

Joval breathed a sigh of relief that the woman he had a crush on had finally awakened. "Yes, we did, Anne. But we can talk about that later."

Teldy's forehead crinkled in annoyance. "Let's talk about it _now_. What happened?"

"You were evacuating the science level when a support beam collapsed trapping you underneath. The damage to your heart was too extensive to be repaired so we performed a transplant. Your left tibia was broken too, but it's nearly healed. Contusions and bruises. You'll need some physical therapy and if we had a staff psychologist, you'd have to speak to him or her, but you should be back on your feet in a few weeks." There was a long pause and Joval knew that she was glad to be alive but not at the expense of another's life.

"Who?" Joval hesitated, not wanting to tell and knowing he had to. She let go of Dale to take his hand. "Marty! Whose heart is it?"

He looked down then back to her intense green eyes. "Ronon's."

She winced at hearing of the Satedan's death, but covered well, shifting in the bed. Looking around, she spotted Dale now standing at the foot of her bed while Marie and Joval fussed over her. "You're Colonel Sheppard's son."

"Yeah. I've been sittin' and talkin' to you hopin' you'd wake up. Brushed your hair too."

She touched her hair and smiled at the boy. "Thanks."

Dale shrugged. "I don't have much to do when I'm not doin' school work so I've been comin' here."

~~O~~

"Thanks for taking care of me." Teldy caught Joval's eye and tilted her head, silently asking him to leave them alone. When Joval and Marie were gone, she motioned Dale closer. "Who else have you been talking to?"

"Mr. Woolsey, Dr. Garcia, a couple others. Most of 'em are back in their rooms now. Some of the people I talk to weren't hurt at all. They just need someone to keep them from being lonely, to know that someone else understands how they feel about bein' lost and everything." He shrugged.

"How _is_ Mr. Woolsey?" Dale wasn't the one to answer the question, but he'd been here since the beginning and would give a child's view of their situation.

"I dunno. He hasn't woken up yet and never squeezes my hand so I don't think he's gettin' any better."

"That's too bad." Joval came to the foot of the bed and Teldy smiled at the boy. "It looks like my doctor wants to talk to me. Thanks again."

"You're welcome."

~~O~~

Joval didn't get a chance to talk with Teldy because she'd gone to sleep as soon as Dale left. It would likely be that way for the next few days with longer and longer periods of wakefulness. He looked forward to the day he could finally verbalize his feelings for her and how glad he was that she was alive.

~~O~~

Though John fought against it, Chuck had made a good case for moving from his office back in the corner under the Jumper Bay to Woolsey's. Chuck had even had it decorated in a style that was more suited to its new occupant. A surfboard was propped in the corner and he'd found photos or had printed them from the computer and had them framed. The credenza had photos of his family in handmade frames, a few other knick-knacks that also looked handmade. The drawings and small paintings were Emily's work. He traced the squiggled ES in the corner with a smile.

If John had to guess, and he did, he would say that Chuck had given the project to members of the expedition as a way to keep them from brooding, moping, sulking. Pick a word. Maybe even say they'd been ordered to do it. And though he wouldn't say it to anyone other his wife, it gave him a warm feeling that the people of Atlantis would go to such lengths to make him feel comfortable in a difficult situation.

Sitting behind the desk, he powered up his computer and tried to concentrate on work. He'd managed to get most of the paperwork Chuck had "requested" from him when a knock on the door disturbed his train of thought.

"Hey." Amanda didn't stand on ceremony. They'd known each other since they were kids having gone to the same boarding school as well as attending Stanford together before she went off to medical school. Not that convention mattered right now. Survival was the word of the day every day. That and repairing the city so they could return home. "I have an update on our two most critical patients."

"Teldy and Woolsey." He closed the laptop and sat back steeling himself for the worst. "Let's hear it."

Amanda dragged the chair over closer to him. "The Major is awake and chomping at the bit to get out of bed."

John shook his head. "Yeah. She's stubborn that way."

"Said the pot to the kettle."

"Are you saying that _I'm_ stubborn?"

She punched him on the arm. "It's _true_."

"Not denying. Confirming. How long until she's back on the job?"

Pretending to consult her tablet, Amanda shrugged. "Six weeks, give or take. Normally, it would be much longer, but we found reference to a drug therapy in the Ancient database that was relatively easy to duplicate under our current circumstances that will speed the process. It's also an anti-rejection therapy."

"Would've been nice to know. Me being in charge and all."

"Didn't want to get everyone's hopes up. Teldy was an experiment. We just had to wait for her to wake up so we could get her permission to use it. All the tests look good so far. I've sent them to you.

"Woolsey is an entirely different matter. He's slipping away and we can't stop it. There's been a reduction in the amount of brain activity. It doesn't look like he's going to make it. And if he does, he'll never be the same. He would never be able to take command again."

"That sucks."

"I know." John could see she was reluctant to bring up the next subject and just waited her out. "I'm sure you've heard this from Chuck, but…we still have a few people unaccounted for. Dr. Porter, Dr. Biro, Lieutenant Pollack, Staff Sergeant Mehra, Corporal Graves and First Lieutenant Kaplan. Um, if you have questions," she stood, tugging her plain blue T-shirt down over her hips, "come see me."

Like most of the non-military staff, she'd taken to wearing whatever she felt comfortable in and that usually meant civvies. He didn't make a fuss because it wasn't a priority. Though it did bring to mind the fact that, if they had to stay on Haven for more than a few months, they'd need new clothing and not just for the civilians. Uniforms wear out too. And if they wanted to be able to show up on Earth dressed for the occasion, they should make other arrangements now. He added clothing to the list of trade items.

John nodded. "The Mess Hall manager said we're running low on necessities so I'm sending out a couple of teams to do a little trading, maybe put some feelers out for what we need to do the repairs. Not giving away our weapons and medical supplies so I'm not sure what we have to trade except labor."

Amanda stopped with one hand on the doorjamb. "What about knowledge? Agricultural, building, combat training."

"That's pretty much it. We have plenty of room to house people who need a refuge, but not the resources."

"I know. I'm gonna get back." Amanda stopped at the door. "John, do you think we'll make it home?"

For the first time, John saw real fear in his friend's eyes. Going to her, he paused a moment before wrapping her in his arms. "Absolutely."

Her body shook with her quiet laughter. "You actually sound like you believe that."

"I _do._ Now get out of here so I can get some work done before I get in trouble with Chuck."

~~O~~

The hologram room was empty most of the time so Evelyn didn't have to wait to use the equipment. The storm she'd seen on the horizon needed monitoring in case it changed direction or strength. With power at a premium, she'd requested time and had been granted whatever she needed to do her job. At the moment that was predicting the weather.

She connected her computer to the port on the console, powered up and began her calculations. As long as she'd been doing this, using the computer was just confirmation of what she already knew.

The storm she'd seen while talking to Dale had changed direction. With a single tap of the computer Evelyn sent the information to the projectors so she could see it all at once.

Lights came on over her head, the globe spinning until it zeroed in on Atlantis floating in the middle of Haven's largest ocean just north of the equator. The storm was a thousand miles northeast of their location. At the moment, it was just a collection of clouds that showed evidence of organization. If they were on Earth, she'd have to say there was a hurricane coming.

She started the modeling program and sure enough, the storm began taking shape. The swirling clouds characteristic of a hurricane's "eye." The data counted down the latitude and longitude as well as strength. The closer it got to the city, the stronger the wind speed. If it stayed on its current heading, it would hit them within the next few days and with the strength of a category four hurricane.

Not the worst news, but not the best considering that there were still areas of the city that hadn't been checked for structural integrity. They were just too shorthanded and their priorities moved in a different direction: basic survival.

"Looks like we'll have to allocate resources whether we want to or not."

Gathering her equipment, Evelyn stepped away from the console and the hologram shut down. Out in the hall, she found the melody of a kids' song going through he mind. The words had long ago been forgotten so she gave in and hummed. Her second time through, she sensed someone come up beside her. It was Dr. EJ Bennett, a botanist.

"What's gotten into you?"

"What d'you mean?"

"A few days ago you were showing signs of depression and today you're practically skipping down the hall." EJ poked her with an elbow. "You broke into the drug cabinet, didn't you?"

"EJ! No!" With a grin, Evelyn gave the other woman a poke in return. "I just had a talk with someone who helped put our situation in perspective. And we played _Battleship._"

"_Battleship?_ I haven't played that since I was in middle school. So who was this amateur psychologist? We'll make him or her a sign saying 'the doctor is IN'."

Evelyn hadn't thought about Lucy Van Pelt and her psychiatry booth in years. "You'll laugh."

"Of _course_ I will. I wouldn't be your best friend if I didn't."

"Colonel Sheppard's youngest, Dale."

EJ was taken aback for a moment. "How old is he? Ten."

"All I know is I feel better."

"Hmm. Maybe _I_ should go see him."

The women stepped into the transporter and got out in Ops. "Do it. He's one smart boy. Just don't tell him that." Her friend started to follow her to Sheppard's office. She stopped EJ with a hand on her arm. "I know it looks like I'm just walking around doing nothing, but I'm actually working."

"Oh! Sorry. Later."

~~O~~

Eyes on the desk top, John listened to Evelyn state that hurricane Aaron-her idea, not his-was on its way and would be here within a few days. Keeping his features blank, he thought, _Crap! Not again!_ "Thanks, doc. We'll have a senior staff meeting. You can present your findings then."

"Yes, sir. Uh, I'd like to be a part of the teams that go out to check the structural integrity of the damaged areas. I'm not an engineer, but I can hold tools and flashlights."

"I'll let Chuck know. He's coordinating the teams."

"Of course."

John nodded and Evelyn exited the office leaving him with one more thing to weigh on his already overtaxed mind. He went to the door. "Chuck!"

His second in command jogged over the bridge to him. "Sir?"

"Schedule a senior staff meeting for 1800 in the Mess Hall. We can eat immediately after, _if_ anyone feels like eating."

"Yes, sir."

With everything that was going on, John rarely had time to dwell on the death of Ronon. He took time out now for a few minutes of self-pity.

He and Ronon had a connection that went beyond mere friendship. They were brothers in arms and he missed everything about his friend. The twice weekly ass-kicking. Their early morning runs. Ronon's silent understanding of the senseless death of someone under his command. Aspects of Earth culture that thoroughly confused him.

When John's father had died, Ronon had provided the support he needed not to completely lose it. Of course it had also helped that they'd had to hunt down a human form replicator, giving him time to process the grief over his father's untimely death.

And their talks. Not that Ronon talked much. Probably the longest and most impassioned he'd ever seen him was his insistence on taking McKay to the Shrine of the Ancients when the physicist suffered from the Second Childhood parasite. Or when Ronon had to convince his confused friend not to shoot him while infected with Kirsan fever.

But the thing that helped the most was knowing that Ronon's death had meaning. That he lived on through Teldy, Garcia and the other recipients of the Satedan's organs.

~~O~~

Standing at the window, Riley watched the sky slowly darken, turning day into night. The waves changed from whitecaps barely worth even worrying about to crashing over the east pier. Atlantis was stable enough that the wind didn't cause the city to sway. He felt it though, knowing it was all in his mind.

As one of the militia, it was his job to patrol the area to give the sensors a human's perspective. They'd managed to turn the city so that the side with the least amount of damage faced the storm bearing down on them. Turning away from the view, he continued on his rounds. Instead of looking for enemies as he'd pictured his first "mission", he was keeping watch for leaks. Not interesting, but necessary. Still, Riley took his duty seriously as his step-father expected. "Charlie Tango seven. Section Whiskey four-nine clear."

Outside, the wind howled and it began to rain…hard.

**TBC**


End file.
